One of the main improvements Oregon wanted to see entering this upcoming season was to play faster and more physical on defense. It’s been three and a half months since the Ducks really hit each other and after the first day of full pads, improvement was definitely seen.
“The intensity level definitely picked up and the sense of urgency on every play is a big deal,” Oregon coach Tom Osborne said.
Today, like nearly every day, was a competition day for the Ducks. In the end, it was the defense that shone brightest, narrowly defeating the offense, 167-166. While the scoring breakdown is difficult to understand, it is noted that all plays, whether it’s a team drill or a one-on-one drill, is graded and scored accordingly.
“It can be a one-on-one drill or a team drill — does the defense stop the offense, do they sack them for a loss? Does the offense get a first down, execute a good running play… the list goes on and on,” Osborne said.
With the defense coming out on top, it was noted that it’s been the linebackers who are really flying around and making plays. While Johnny Ragin III has already been lauded for his vocal leadership and hustle plays, De’Quan McDowell is leaving a strong impression thus far.
“The linebackers are flying around — they’re always making plays and their motors are always going,” running back Royce Freeman said. “De’Quan has always been a hard worker and now he just puts his mind to it and is making plays.”
With many positions still up for grabs, the physicality for spots definitely picked up on the first day in pads. Even though it was good to see players able to hit each other and play faster, one of the main emphasis is still keeping players healthy. The last thing Oregon wants to see is its own players being hurt by one another, so certain precautions are in place to prevent such injuries.
“We don’t talk anybody to the ground, we don’t cut anybody, we don’t block anybody to the ground, we don’t put anybody in the ground — it’s very physical but at the same time we aren’t risking injuries,” Osborne said.